Italy is under test because has not respected the European Union Council indications to ratify an important instrument for the protection of children: the 1996 Hague Convention. For this reason Italy has been called by the European Council on Monday, July 5^th to talk about the Convention's ratification status.

This is the only treaty that can be applied to almost the totality of the measures related to children in difficulty. It has been created to be a common juridical space. An instrument that, if applied, will permit to give an answer to many unresolved situations of children in family difficulty: unaccompanied children, children from countries hit by natural disasters or war, children under the kafala (Islamic instrument of law to protect abandoned children), children in family difficulty that are not being adopted.

The deadline for Italy and the other 8 countries (Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Malta) that should have ratified the Convention has been fixed by the European Union Council on June 5^th, 2010. The General Direction JLS of the EU had solicited the Convention's ratification on June 24^th to these countries. Spain and Great Britain have been the first two countries to ratify.

"Italy should follow the positive example of Spain and Great Britain and ratify this instrument basic to protect children in difficulty. For the first time a Convention recognises that the best interest of the child must be above the difficulties in the ordinances' dialogue. It obliges the states to find a common juridical status between the country of origin and the country of reception of the child. This Convention, if applied, will have the historical importance to permit to take away from the limbo many children in family difficulty' has been declared by Marco Griffini, Ai.Bi.'s President.